Crystal



1945- w. E. KUENSTLER I 2,383,252

CRYSTAL Filed Sept. 16, 1944 INVENTOR.

: opposite Patented Aug. 21, 1945 2,383,262 cars'rar. Walter E. Kuenstler, Cliifsidc'lark, N. J. Application September 16, 1944, Serial No. 554,401

8 Claims.

This invention relates to crystals of the character employed in radio work, such as crystals of quartz, tourmaline, or other piezo-electric ma.- terial, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved mounting and housing means for crystals of this character, permitting the crystal to be subjected to the action of x-rays or other rays tending to change the frequency of the crystal.

In my co-pending application for patent, Serial No; 552,487, filed September 2/1944, I dis- 1 close a sealed housing or container for a crystal and its associated parts wherein the assembly of the device is rendered speedy and eflective. since merely placing the parts together in operative relationship served to establish the required electrical connections between them. It has been established that the frequency of a crystal can be lowered by subjecting the crystal to the influence of X-rays and possibly to the action of other rays or forces. In so treating the crystal it has been found necessary to dismantle the assembly and remove the crystal from its hcusingto enable it to receive the influence of the X-rays.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a crystal assembly. including a housing and other associated elements of a nature similar to those shown and described in my application for patent above referred to, which will permit the crystal to be subjected to the action of X-rays or other influencing rays, while the crystal is suitably mounted and is contained in its sealed casing, to thereby raise or lower the frequency of the crystal according to the nature of the treatment to which it is subjected. The advantages of such an arrangement will be apparent to those skilled in this art, since the time consumed and the accuracy of installation required to mount and encase a crystal is considerable and means whereby the crystal'can be treated to raise or lower its frequency while the crystal remains mounted and encased will result in great saving to the manufacturer and materially increase production" of crystals of accurate frequency.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a crystal assembly, constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1; 1 1g. 3 is a face view of the apertured spring plate, and Fig. 4 is a view of the face of the spring plate.

In the drawing, l indicates the body portion or housing in which the crystal and its associated raise or lower its parts are contained. This housing portion, while preferably composed of a moulded insulating material, should nevertheless be made of such a material as will permit the passage of X-rays or other rays used for treating the crystal to frequency. Certain types. of glass, permitting the passage of such rays, will be found satisfactory. The body portion i is provided with an interior chamber or recess 2, s0 shaped as to snugly accommodate the crystal 3. The crystal is sandwiched between electrodes 4 and 5. which in the formshown are metallic coatings intimately applied to the opposite faces of the crystal, these coatings being of such a nature as to be pervious to-X-rays or other rays with which the crystal is treated.'

The crystal 3 and its intimately applied electrodes l and 5 are held between a pair of spring plates 6 and I which hold the crystal in a definite position and apply pressure upon it.

At the bottom of the recess is provided a raised central portion 8, moulded as a part of the housing, and provided'with a pair of transverse ribs 9 on which at? edge of the crystal rests, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. At i0 and II are shown the contact pins, which have their respective end portions i2 and II embedded in the body portion i of the housing,

each of these endportions having a rounded terminal or tip it projecting into the recess 2 so that it is accessible to a doubled-over spring tongue formed on each of the spring plates 6 and 1. Thus, the spring plate I is provided with the integrally formed downward extension i5 in th'e*form of a doubled-over spring tongue which is held against and establishes electrical contact with the rounded end or terminal H of contact pin ll, spring tongue i6, formed on the lower end of the plate 6 rests against and establishes electrical contact with the terminal ll of the contact pin ill. Each of the spring plates 6 and 1 is pro- 1 vided with a central aperture or window 30 so disposed in relation to the crystal 3 confined between these plates that the central portion of the crystal is exposed through these apertures 30 and is available therethrough for treatment by X-rays brother suitable rays to raise or lower the frequency of the crystal when such action is a certain frequency.

The recess or chamber 2 is closed by a closure member or cover Il, placed in position after the parts are insertedin the recess, and then the body I of the housing and are secured together, such as by being fused or while a similar I the closure member height that when the flame-sealed if the housing and cover member are composed of i'usible material. To facilitate this fused joinder of the parts I and I1, thesev parts may be provided with the co-operating lips l8 and IS.

The spring plates 8 and 1 are made of such closure member I! is placed in position to close the housing, its inner end 20 will come into contact with the upper ends of the spring plates 6 and T and flex or bow the same outwardly, at the same times causing parts of the plates to be urged inwardly or toward the crystal. Suchinwardly-urged parts of the plates are provided with rounded conical projections 26 which are firmly forced against the coatings 4 and 5, constituting the electrodes, thusholding the crystal securely in place and at the same time establishing electrical contact with the electrodes thereof.

The imposition of end-wise pressure on the spring plates 6 and 1 by the closure member I! also tends to force these plates in a direction toward the terminal ends I of the contact pins to and ii so that as a result, the doubled-over spring tongues I5 and ii are held resiliently but firmly in contact with these ends it. Accordingly, the spring plate 6 being in .contact with the electrode 4, and having its spring tongue in 'contact with the terminal end of the contact pin it), establishes electrical connection between the electrode 4 and the pin I0. 7 Similarly, the spring plate 1, being in contact with the electrode 5 and havingits spring tongue l5 in contact with the pin Ii, establishes electrical connection between the electrode 5 and the pin II. It will be noted that the lower portion of the closure member I7 is provided with a pair of spaced ribs 28 acting as confining means to hold the upper portions of the spring plates 6 and 1 from tending to spread apart when the closure member is placed in position.

After the parts are placed in position in the casing I, the closure member I1 is placed thereon and the parts I and II are fused together or flame-sealed so that a unitary, watertight, sealed container results, maintaining the contents safely under all conditions of use.

By the provisions of the apertures 30 in the spring plates 6 and 1, access is provided to the central portions of the crystal, and since, as herein pointed out, the material of the container as well as the material of the electrodes is pervious to X-rays or other rays which may be adapted for treating the crystal, the treated crystal is available for frequency reducing or increasing action without being removed from the contalner. While I have described the spring plates 6 and 1 as both being provided wth the central aperture 30, only one of these plates may. if desired, be provided with the aperture, and other recess, a crystal carried in said recess, at least one spring plate operative against the crystal, the spring plate being provided with a substantially central opening to expose the central part of the crystal.

3. In a crystal assembly, a housing, a crystal and electrodes therein, spring plates between which the crystal and electrodes are held, a part of the housing being operative against the plates to cause the same to compress the crystal and electrodes between them, the spring plates each having a central opening through which the crystal can be treated.

4. In a crystal assembly, a wafer-like crystal having its opposite faces provided 'with an intimately attached metallic coating, a housing provided with a recess in which the coated crystal is located, a resilient plate operative against one of the coated faces of the crystal to hold the crystal in place in the recess, said plate having an aperture through which the central part of the coated crystal is exposed.

5. In a crystal assembly, a wafer-like crystal having its opposite faces provided with an intimately attached metallic coating of a nature pervious to x-rays, a housing provided with a recess in which the coated crystal is located, the housing being of a material also pervious to X- rays, the coated crystal being sandwiched between a pair of spring plates, each of said plates having a central opening through which X-rays may be directed to reach the central portion of the crystal.

6. In a crystal assembly, a sealed housing containing a crystal, electrodes and.pressure-imposing means in the housing, the pressure-imposing means consisting of spring plates having central apertures.

7. In a crystal assembly, a housing containing a crystal, electrodes and a spring plate for holding the crystal and electrodes in place, the spring plate having a central aperture exposing the central portion of the crystal to permit the same to be subjected to X-rays.

8. In a crystal assembly as called for in claim 7, the electrodes and housing being composed of material penetrable by X-rays.

WALTER E. KUENS'ILER. 

